Lady&#39;s shoe brace



June 4, 1948-. J. ARENA 2,401,400

LADYS SHOE BRACE Filed July 23, 1945 INVENTOR. L/OSEPHARE/VA Patented June 4, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LADYS SHOE BRACE Joseph Arena, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application July 23, 1945, Serial No. 606,596

3 Claims. I

This invention relates to means for reinforcin high heels of ladies shoes, and one of its objects is to provide a reinforcing brace, which will be inconspicuous, and which may be attached by a worker skilled in the handling of shoes, and which will, when properly attached, take up the strain imposed upon the high heel in walking and standing, so as to efiectively prevent the heel from separating from the shoe sole and upper.

A further object of the invention is to provide a heel reinforcing member which can be constructed of sheet metal, and attached in place against the shoe sole and the inner side of the heel by means of small brads or tacks.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention comprises certain new and useful constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts, clearly described in the following specification, and fully illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a ladies shoe provided with the improved brace.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view, taken on line 22 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective of the under portion of the shoe and the brace.

Fig. 4 is a detail bottom View of the brace.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, which illustrates the practical embodiment of the invention, 5 designates a conventional type of ladies shoe, having a high heel 6, thus establishing a deep sloping shank 1.

In walking and standing the high heel is subject to cantilever twisting strains and stresses, and at times may be separated from the sole 8, to which the heel is attached in the usual manner.

To strengthen the connection between the upper end or base of the heel and the shoe, I provide a metal brace l0, which is stamped and molded under pressure from sheet steel or other acceptable metal. This brace is formed with an intermediate V-shaped bend II, which is formed by offsetting the central portion of the blank from which the brace is formed, and which extends from the vertical heel engaging flange l2 to the sloping shank engaging flange l3.

The heel engaging flange i2 is provided with an attaching ear [2a, through which a tack or brad I4 is driven horizontally into the inner side of the heel. This attaching ear is located at the lower end of the brace, and the flange I2 has bearings at |2b and |2c on opposite sides of the brace against the inner side of the heel, as shown in PIE. 2.

The flange I3 is provided with attaching ears 13a and l3b, on opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the brace, through which the tacks or brads I5 are driven directly into the sole at the arch of the shoe, and suitably clinched in place.

The ears I31; and l3b are separated from each other by a clearance IE, on each side of the center, and this arrangement permits a certain amount of relative movement between the two ears Ba and 131), so that one ear will not develop a leverage action against the other ear, to separate the shank flange l3 from the shoe, under the strains and stresses of walking and standing.

The brace takes up strains and stresses imposed on the heel, and tends to maintain the heel in its normal relation to the shoe, thus adding to the comfort and stability of walking and standing.

The improved brace is so designed that any skilled shoe worker or repair man may quickly attach it to a ladies shoe.

It is understood that the mold or precise shape of the brace will be adapted for each style of shoe.

Having described my invention I claim as new:

1. An external brace for ladies shoes, consisting of a body formed from sheet metal and provided with a sole engaging part having relatively yieldable attaching ears to engage the shoe sole and having a part to engage the inside of the heel and provided with an attaching ear on the lower end of said part, said body having an intermediate V-shaped bend extending from the heel engaging part to the sole engaging part.

2. An external brace for ladies shoes, comprising a sheet meta] body having an intermediate V-shaped bend and side bearing portions adapted to have bearing against the inner side of the heel and provided with an attaching ear at the lower end ofsaid bearing portions, the upper end of the body having lateral ears spaced apart from each other and securable to the arch portion of the sole of the shoe.

3. In combination with a ladies shoe having a high heel and a deeply sloping shank, of a brace having portions engaged with the inner side of the heel and having an attaching ear secured directly to said heel, and having attaching ears secured directly to the sloping shank of the shoe, said brace also having a V-shaped bend extending from said heel engaging portions to said arch engaging portions, and said last-named attaching ears being separated from each other to permit of relative movement between the said ears when attached in place.

J OSEPH ARENA. 

